I want to talk to you

Diana Evans

Portraits of icons from Maya Angelou to Viola Davis, brought together with dazzling essays and critiques by the Women's Prize-shortlisted author of Ordinary People. “A joy and an invigorating read.” The Guardian. “A moving, witty, and seductive anthology.” Financial Times. “Each piece feels beautifully stitched and finished.” Bernardine Evaristo. Crafted over 25 years, I Want to Talk to You invites you into a conversation about literature, art, music, identity, grief, and everything in between. As a young journalist, Diana Evans took off overnight and transitioned into the role of culture editor, interviewing a galaxy of stars, including Lauryn Hill, Viola Davis, Alice Walker, and Edward Enninful. In these portraits of contemporary icons, the author remains the observer. Alongside them, in works brought together here for the first time, we see her focus on herself. We watch her dance on London stages and travel through Cuba. We sit by her desk as she develops her voice as a writer, influenced by her love of Jean Rhys, James Baldwin, and Toni Morrison. We walk beside her as she navigates the world—her family and midlife, her reflections on fashion, yoga, the British monarchy and lockdown measures, and the lasting impact of George Floyd and Grenfell. “Truly profound, conversational, and unique… absolutely brilliant” Ore-Agbaje-Williams “Intimate and moving… elegant in tone and precisely crafted in form” Ekow Eshun “A celebration of a career that was far from ordinary and of an intellectual mindset that was forever cutting edge” Charlie Brinkhurst-Coffee